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<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nUPDATE: 2:0<\/span>0 PM<\/span><\/p>\n Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar Iran from this summer\u2019s Paris Olympics on Wednesday, citing human rights allegations against the country.<\/p>\n Blackburn said Iran\u2019s \u201cevil regime\u201d should not be allowed to compete on the world stage.\u00a0Iran \u201csystematically victimizes its own citizens, particularly women and girls. Violence permeates every aspect of life for Iranian women,\u201d she wrote in a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach.<\/p>\n \u201cAthletes are not immune from persecution in Iran. In fact, Iran has only one female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizadeh,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis disparity is not due to a lack of talent. Rather, it is a direct result of the oppression and abuse female athletes in Iran face \u2014 the very oppression and abuse that forced Alizadeh\u00a0to later defect<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n Iranian state media have reported that European airports are refusing to refuel Iranian planes. The state-run news agency Entekhab quoted<\/a> a spokesperson for IranAir responding to questions about limitations on refueling at airports in European countries: “Due to sanctions issues, we are unable to refuel at European airports. However, our wide-body aircraft operating on this route have the capability to carry fuel for round trips. Airbus wide-body aircraft have the capacity to carry fuel for up to 16 hours of flight. Therefore, we do not face any issues with refueling for these routes. Claims that refueling for these routes poses a risk to the aircraft are uninformed and illogical.”<\/p>\n Additionally, according to Eghtesad-e Iran, an economy-oriented media outlet, Iran’s aviation industry is facing numerous challenges in addition to the fueling issue at European airports. The average age of Iran’s aviation fleet is around 25 years, significantly higher than the global average of 12 years, increasing the risk of aviation accidents.<\/p>\n Moreover, shortages of spare parts have led to some aircraft being grounded. Meanwhile, lack of technical expertise has made Iran’s aviation industry face challenges due to the lack of communication with foreign aircraft manufacturing companies. Lack of investment in this area has also exacerbated these challenges.<\/p>\n Russian-speaking hacking forums, including Exploit and XSS, run black markets in tools and services used by cyber criminals intent on making money by hacking computer systems and stealing data.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0Sergey Shykevich<\/a>, a threat intelligence expert at cyber security company Check Point Software, nation states are increasingly using underground cybercrime forums to pose as cyber criminals and hackers.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n Washington, DC \u2013 The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF<\/strong><\/a>) urges the U.S. government to support a United Nations (UN) Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court following the\u00a0finding<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0by a panel of UN-appointed experts that Iran\u2019s crackdowns on protests against mandatory hijab and other religious freedom violations amount to crimes against humanity. Last week, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran determined that this repression \u201cintersects with discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and religion.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n UPDATE: 10:3<\/span>0 AM<\/span><\/p>\n PANAMA CITY, March 13 (Reuters) – The United States has asked Panama to ban Iranian vessels sanctioned by Washington from using its flag, U.S. State Department special envoy Abram Paley said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Paley said the request aims to prevent ships from being used for illegal actions such as supporting groups designated as Iranian terrorist organizations with oil sales.<\/p>\n In January 2023, Panama’s maritime authority said it had withdrawn its flag from 136 ships linked to Iran’s state oil company in the last four years. More than 8,000 vessels sailing with its flag.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n House Republicans are demanding former\u00a0special presidential climate envoy John Kerry<\/a>\u00a0disclose details about his \u201cshadow diplomacy\u201d with Iran during the Trump administration \u2014 warning that his actions may have violated the federal Logan Act.<\/p>\n Five GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, sent a letter to the State Department on Wednesday saying Kerry, 80, must hand over all records of his \u201cprivate correspondence\u201d with former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is of the utmost importance to ascertain the nature of these communications,\u201d they wrote, according to a copy of the letter exclusively obtained by The Post. \u201cAny discussion of sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump against Iran would present a likely violation of the Logan Act.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga, Congressman Brian Mast, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, and Congressman Joe Wilson\u00a0released a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken<\/a>\u00a0regarding the Biden Administration\u2019s sanctions waiver allowing the transfer of Iranian funds from Iraq to Oman and other jurisdictions. Specifically, the Subcommittee Chairmen from the House Financial Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees question how the Biden Administration can continue to grant waivers allowing the Iranian regime easier access to money in the face of the Iranian backed attacks on American troops, international cargo ships, and the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th<\/sup>, 2023.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n UPDATE: 7:3<\/span>0 AM<\/span><\/p>\n Fearing the resurgence of protests during Iran\u2019s Fire Festival (Charshanbe Suri), the regime and its security forces were on full alert. Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) forces, State Security Forces, Basij units, and Ministry of Intelligence agents were deployed in cities across the country to prevent assemblies, celebrations, and anti-regime activities. However, according to reports from various provinces and cities, from the beginning of the afternoon until late into the night, rebellious youth across Iran turned Charshanbe Suri ceremonies into a manifestation of the people\u2019s hatred for the mullahs\u2019 regime and their desire for regime change.<\/p>\n The PMOI social headquarters inside the country had called for a \u201cNationwide Fiery Fire Festival Campaign\u201d on February 20, 2024.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n In a bold move, members of US Congress have penned a stern letter to Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, demanding clarification on the Biden Administration\u2019s Iran sanctions policy. The\u00a0letter<\/a>, signed by prominent lawmakers including Bill Huizenga, Brian Mast, Blaine Luetkemeyer, and Joe Wilson, highlights growing concerns over recent deadly attacks linked to Iran-backed groups.<\/p>\n The letter, dated March 13, 2024, references the January 28th drone attack by Kata\u2019ib Hezbollah on a U.S. base in Jordan, resulting in the tragic deaths of three American service members and numerous injuries. Additionally, it brings attention to the ongoing destabilizing activities of Iran-backed militias across the Middle East, including missile and drone attacks on shipping and over 160 assaults on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n Of particular concern to lawmakers is the apparent inconsistency in the Biden Administration\u2019s handling of Iran sanctions. They point to instances where waivers have been granted, allowing the transfer of billions of dollars from South Korea to Qatar and from Iraq to Oman, despite Iran\u2019s continued support for terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n Iranian state media paints a grim picture of the economic situation on the eve of Nowruz, the Persian New Year.<\/p>\n Reports highlight a significant rise in the cost of essential goods, forcing people to prioritize food and basic items over new clothes. This has also discouraged sellers due to lower demand. \u2018Etemad\u2019 newspaper emphasizes the problem, stating, \u201cRamadan has arrived, but consumer goods are several times more expensive compared to last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Rasoul Shajari, head of the Tehran Cobblers\u2019 Union, reported a 25% drop in demand and a 30% price increase in the shoe market. Similarly, a report from Qazvin by Etelaat newspaper reveals that \u201cunlike previous years, the sweets market has been sluggish since early March due to high inflation. Orders for tea biscuits, a popular Nowruz treat, have plummeted from 40 kg to a mere 5-10 kg per day.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n The European Union (EU) is poised to impose significant new sanctions on Iran in response to reports that Tehran may be considering supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the ongoing war with Ukraine.<\/p>\n Draft conclusions for an upcoming EU summit next week express deep concern over these reports and call on \u201cthird parties\u201d to immediately cease any material support for Russia\u2019s aggression. The text, obtained by Reuters, warns of a \u201cswift and coordinated\u201d response from the EU and its international partners, potentially including new sanctions against Iran.<\/p>\n This potential escalation comes amidst existing tensions between Iran and the West. Notably, France, Germany, and Britain recently extended sanctions on Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program, a decision influenced in part by concerns about Iranian military cooperation with Russia.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n The United States Treasury Department announced sanctions on Tuesday against four individuals accused of supporting the Al-Ashtar Brigades, a militant group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 2018. The move highlights Washington\u2019s ongoing efforts to counter Iranian regime influence in the Middle East.\u00a0The Treasury Department, in coordination with Bahrain, blacklisted four individuals linked to the Al-Ashtar Brigades. The group, founded in 2013, aims to overthrow Bahrain\u2019s monarchy and has carried out numerous attacks within the country, according to US intelligence.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n The State Security forces in Aligudarz took the life of another innocent young woman on Saturday morning, March 9, 2024. Negar Karimian was traveling with her family, when the SSF opened fire on their car, wounding her and her father. Negar Karimian, 21, died in a hospital three hours later due to the severity of her injuries.<\/p>\n The State Security Force declared that they had opened fire by mistake. Negar Karimian\u2019s family was returning from the burial of her uncle, traveling from Aligudarz towards Isfahan, where they live. Aligudarz<\/a>\u00a0is a city in the western Iranian Lorestan Province.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n In an interview with the state-run Econegar website Farshad Momeni, an economist and university professor, described the economic situation of the Iranian people as critical.<\/p>\n He pointed out that 30% of the country\u2019s population is below the\u00a0poverty line<\/a>, stating that another 40% are on the verge of falling below the poverty line with the current methods of wage determination.<\/p>\n The economist, noting the insistence of employer representatives on considering a 140 million rials (approximately $236) livelihood basket for workers, added: \u201cSince the government, as a major employer, leans towards employers, there is a possibility that this year, like last year, they will have to confront wage determination based on the inflation rate.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n On the eve of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, the regime\u2019s media report on the relentless increase in the prices of goods, stating that the inflation has led people to prioritize purchasing\u00a0essential items and food<\/a>\u00a0instead of buying new clothes. This has created a discouraging environment for sellers.<\/p>\n The state-run Etemad newspaper reports that \u201cRamadan has arrived with the prices of consumables for Iftar and Sahur being several times higher than the previous Ramadan.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, on the eve of the Iranian New Year (March 21), on Wednesday, March 13, Rasoul Shajari, the head of the Tehran Shoemakers Union, announced a 25% decrease in demand and a 30% increase in prices in the shoe market during the New Year\u2019s Eve in Tehran.<\/p>\nGOP Senator Seeks Olympic Ban On Iran<\/h3>\n
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\nIranian Aircraft Denied Refueling at European Airports Amidst Sanctions<\/h3>\n
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\nNation States Buying Hacking Tools from Underground Russian Cyber Forums<\/h3>\n
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Nation states have been identified shopping on Russian cybercrime\u00a0forums for malware they can use to wipe computers of data in hostile hacking attacks.<\/p>\n
\nUSCIRF Calls for Accountability for Iran\u2019s Crimes Against Humanity<\/h3>\n
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\nUS Asks Panama to Strip Flags from Iranian Ships Sanctioned by Washington<\/h3>\n
\nHouse GOP Demands John Kerry Discloses Details Of His \u2018Shadow Diplomacy\u2019 With Iran During Trump Presidency<\/h3>\n
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\nHuizenga, Mast, Luetkemeyer, & Wilson Question Biden Administration on Iran Sanctions Waiver<\/h3>\n
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\nIran\u2019s Rebellious Youth Celebrate Charshanbe Suri Despite The Regime\u2019s Security Measures<\/h3>\n
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\nUS Congress Demands Answers from Administration Regarding Iran Sanctions Policy<\/h3>\n
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\nIranians Face Soaring Prices Ahead of Nowruz<\/h3>\n
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\nEU Eyes Iran Sanctions Over Potential Missile Transfer to Russia<\/h3>\n
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\nUS Targets Iran-Backed Militant Group in Bahrain with Sanctions<\/h3>\n
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\nNegar Karimian: Another Innocent Woman Arbitrarily Killed By Security Forces<\/h3>\n
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\n70% of Iranians Either Below Poverty Line or At Risk of Falling into Poverty<\/h3>\n
![\"iran](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/iran-poverty-300x169.jpg\")
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\nStaggering Price Hikes in Iran<\/h3>\n
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